i  ■  ■ 


THE  SHORT  BALLOT 


The  Key  to  Popular  Government 

What  It  Is. 

What  It  Will  Do. 

How  To  Get  It  In  ST.  LOUIS. 


WHERE  POLITICIANS  FIND  SAFETY 


— From  the  Cle'Ueland  Press 

The  Long  Ballot  is  the  Politician’s  Ballot. 

The  Short  Ballot  is  the  People’s  Ballot. 


ISSUED  BY  THE  SHORT  BALLOT  COMMITTEE 
OF  THE  CIVIC  LEAGUE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

(Affiliated  with  the  National  Short  Ballot  Organization) 

19  14 


JUST  A  FEW  QUESTIONS  TO  THE  VOTER. 


Ten  minutes  after  you  left  the  polling  place  at  the  last  election, 
could  you  have  made  a  list  of  tlie  officials  you  voted  for?  Could  vou  ( 
have  remembered  the  names  of  half  the  men  you  voted  for? 

Did  it  make  any  difference  to  you  outside  party  politics,  or  perhaps 
a  personal  friend,  who  most  of  them  were? 

Did  you  know  anything  at  all  about  any  of  them  except  the  very 
few  most  important  offices? 

If  there  were  only  the  few  important  offices  on  the  ballot,  would 
you  not  try  to  know  about  all  of  them? 

Would  not  a  shorter  ballot  enable  us  all  to  vote  more  intelligently’^  I 

We  have  the  short  ballot  in  national  elections,  electing  only  presi¬ 
dent  and  legislators.  It  works  all  right.  Why  shouldn’t  we  have  it 

in  state  and  local  government  also?  ♦ 

0 

Isn’t  it  a  fact  that  we  generally  vote  a  list  that  is  about  10  per 
cent  of  our  own  choosing  and  90  per  cent  politician-made?  Is  that  our  * 
fault?  No.  The  people  of  Missouri  are  not  lazy  or  indifferent.  It  is 
the  ballot  that  is  to  blame.  The  ballot  is  so  long  that  it  might  well  bear 
the  words  “For  expert  politicians  only — not  for  the  people!” 

If  the  ballot  were  short  enough  our  ballots  would  be  100  per  cent 
of  our  own  make,  instead  of  90  per  cent  politician  made.  AYhere 
would  the  professional  politicians  be  then? 


THE  SHORT  BALLOT  PRINCIPLE, 

as  officially  defined  by  the  National  Short  Ballot  Organization,  is: 

First,  that  only  those  offices  should  be  elective  which  are  impor¬ 
tant  enough  to  attract  (and  deserve)  public  examination. 

Second,  that  very  few  offices  should  be  filled  by  election  at  one 
time,  so  as  to  permit  adequate  and  unconfused  public  examination  of 
the  candidates,  and  so  as  to  facilitate  the  free  and  intelligent  making 
of  original  tickets  by  any  voter  for  himself,  unaided  by  political 
specialists. 


2 


1 


f)  if  2^ 

'  y *4- S  Is 

Obedience^  to  this  fundamental  principle  explains  the  compara¬ 
tive  success ’"of  democratic  government  in  the  cities  of  Great  Britain 
and  other  foreign  democracies  and  in  Galveston,  Des  Moines  and  other 
American  cities  that  are  governed  by  “commissions.” 

The  application  of  this  principle  should  be  extended  to  all  cities, 
counties  and  states. 

•  THE  EVILS  OF  THE  LONG  BALLOT. 

Have  any  of  us  a  doubt  that  the  workings  of  American  political 
institutions  are  unsatisfactory?  Analyzing  their  workings,  the  Na¬ 
tional  Short  Ballot  Organization  says : 

“The  dangerously  great  power  of  politicians  in  our  country  is  not 
due  to  any  peculiar  civic  indifference  of  the  people,  but  rests  on  the 
fact  that  we  are  living  under  a  form  of  democracy  that  is  so  unwork¬ 
able  as  to  constitute  in  practice  a  pseudo-democracy.  It  is  unworkable 
because — 

First — It  submits  to  popular  election  offices  which  are  too  unim¬ 
portant  to  attract  (or  deserve)  public  attention,  and, 

Second — It  submits  to  popular  election  so  many  offices  at  one 
time  that  many  of  them  are  inevitably  crowded  out  from  proper  public 
attention,  and. 

Third — It  submits  to  popular  election  so  many  offices  at  one  time 
as  to  make  the  business  of  ticket-making  too  intricate  for  popular 
participation,  whereupon  some  sort  of  private  political  machine  be¬ 
comes  an  indispensable  instrument  in  electoral  action. 

Many  officials,  therefore,  are  elected  without  adequate  public 
scrutinjq  and  owe  their  selection  not  to  the  people,  but  to  the  makers 
of  the  party  ticket,  who  thus  acquire  an  influence  that  is  capable  of 
great  abuse.” 

PURPOSE  AND  EFFECT  OF  THE  SHORT  BALLOT.. 

The  purpose  of  the  Short  Ballot  movement  is  to  simplify  politics; 
to  make  intelligent  voting  possible  for  the  average  voter.  It  aims  to 
make  politics  more  of  a  science  and  less  of  a  game. 

The  Short  Ballot  draws  a  sharp  distinction  between  offices  properly 
appointive  and  offices  properly  elective.  It  supports  the  sound  theory 
that  only  those  officials  should  be  elected  who  have  large  discretionary 


3 


power,  who  reflect  and  carry  into  effect  the  will  of  the  community 
they  serve.  The  legislative  office  will,  of  course,  always  remain  the 
chief  elective  office  in  a  representative  democracy. 

Under  the  Short  Ballot  principle,  officials  whose  duties  are  purely 
administrative,  such  as  recordor  of  deeds,  treasurer,  auditor,  etc., 
would  be  appointed.  The  conduct  of  such  offices  is  not  determined  by 
public  policies  and  the  duties  are  not  discretionary.  Their  functions 
and  powers  are  fixed  and  limited. 

The  Short  Ballot  as  a  principle  in  government  is  the  one  political 
reform  that  is  agreed  upon  by  radicals  and  conservatives  alike.  It  is 
endorsed  by  practically  every  recognized  authority  on  government  in 
the  United  States  and  by  leaders  of  all  parties.  (See  page  8  for  ex- 
j)ressions  of  opinion  from  such  different  types  of  public  men  as  Wilson, 
Roosevelt  and  Taft.) 


OBJECTION  TO  SHORT  BALLOT. 

The  chief  objection  urged  against  the  Short  Ballot  is  that  as  a 
political  reform  it  is  incomplete,  because  if  the  Short  Ballot  were  the 
only  reform  the  voters  would  still  have  no  check  on  bad  men  or  bad 
legislation. 

Whatever  check  is  needed  may  be  found  in  the  growing  move- 
ment  for  popular  control  through  the  Initiative,  Referendum  and 
Recall.  The  merit  system  of  civil  service  furnishes  the  needed  check 
in  selecting  appointive  officers.  Those  safeguards  may  Avell  go  hand 
in  hand  with  the  movement  for  the  Short  Ballot.  But  even  without 
them,  the  Short  Ballot  in  itself  will  put  into  the  hands  of  voters  the 
power  to  vote  informedly  and  with  discrimination  for  officers  in  whom 
the}^  are  really  interested. 

And  that  would  be  a  big  step  toward  realizing  the  ideal  of  dem¬ 
ocracy,  on  which  American  political  institutions  are  founded.  Instead 
of  having  to  check  bad  men  through  the  initiative,  referendum  and 
recall,  we  would  elect  good  men  who  would  not  need  to  be  checked. 

4 


HOW  SHALL  WE  GET  IT  IN  ST.  LOUIS? 


State  Elections  for  Local  Officials. 


Tlie  St.  Louis  voter  votes  at  the  presidential  election  not  only  for 
11  state  and  3  federal  officials^  but  also  for  10  local  officials  who  corre¬ 
spond  to  county  officers. 

At  the  biennial  election,  the  St.  Louis  voter  votes  for  6  state  of¬ 
ficials,  one  federal,  and  15  local  officials. 

In  both  elections  this  number  is,  of  course,  multiplied  by  as  many 
tickets  as  there  are  in  the  field — so  that  in  reality  instead  of  selecting 
from  20  or  25  men,  we  select  from  80  to  120. 


REGULAR  STATE  ELECTION. 


Present  Long  Ballot. 


The  Short  Ballot  (retaining  the 
same  officers)  — 


eludge  Court  of  Appeals, 

Four  Judges  Circuit  Court. 
Judge  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection, 

Sheriff, 

Circuit  Attorney, 

Coroner, 


Judge  Court  of  Appeals, 

Four  Judges  Circuit  Court, 
Judge  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection, 

Sheriff, 

Circuit  Attorney. 


Puhlic  Administrator.  1 

(Those  in  italics  become  appointive.) 


BIENNIAL  ELECTION. 
Present  Long  Ballot — 


Four  Judges  Circuit  Court, 
IT'obate  Judge, 

Judge  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection, 

Justice  of  the  Peace, 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Clerk  Circuit  Court,  : 

Clerk  Circuit  Court  for  Crim-  I 

inal  Cases,  j 

) 

Clerk  Prohate  Court, 

Clerk  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection,  I 

Constable, 

Recorder  of  Deeds,  \ 

License  Collector.  \ 


The  Short  Ballot — 

(Retaining  the  same  officers) 

Four  Judges  Circuit  Court, 
Probate  Judge, 

Judge  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection, 

•Justice  of  the  Peace, 
•Prosecuting  Attorney, 


(Those  in  italics  become  appointive.) 

*  It  is  proposed  to  make  these  judicial  officials  part  of  a  municipal  court 
system,  and  combine  the  Prosecuting  Attorney’s  office  with  that  of  the  Cir¬ 
cuit  Attorney. 


5 


Municipal  Elections  in  St.  Louis. 

Municipal  elections,  every  two  years,  are  separate  from  all  other 
elections  in  St.  Louis.  School  officials  are  elected  at  the  same  time. 
At  the  mayoralty  election  the  St.  Louis  voter  votes  for  IS  city  of¬ 
ficers  and  4  members'  of  the  Board  of  Education,  making  '22  on  the 
uiayoralty  ballot  (multiplied  by  at  least  4,  the  usual  number  of  tick¬ 
ets  in  the  field). 

At  the  biennial  municipal  election,  he  votes  for  7  city  officers 
and  4  members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  a  total  of  11. 


^fAYOKALTY 
Present  Long  Ballot. 


ELECTION. 

The  Short  Ballot 

{Retaining  the  same  officers) 


Mavor, 

IT’esident  City  Council, 

Six  members  Citv  Council, 

One  member  House  of  Dele¬ 
gates  (28  wards). 

Four  members  of  Board  of 
Education, 

Comptroller, ' 

President  Board  of  Public  Im¬ 
provements, 

Treasurer, 

Auditor, 

President  Board  of  Assessors 
Collector  of  the  Revenue, 
Register, 


Mavor, 

President  Citv  Council, 

Six  Members  City  Council, 

One  member  House  of  Dele¬ 
gates  (28  wards). 

Four  Members  of  the  Board  of 
Education. 


Marshal, 

Inspector  of  Weights  and  Meas- 
ures. 

(Those  in  italics  become  appointive.) 


BIENNIAL  MUNICIPAL  ELECTION. 

At  the  biennial  municipal  election  only  members  of  the  City 
Council,  House  of  Delegates  and  Board  of  Education  are  elected.  Tlie 
Short  Ballot  principle  Avould  give  us  just  the  same  officials  and  there 
would,  therefore,  be  no  change. 


We  can  get  a  Short  BaUot  in  St.  Louis  any  time  at  will.  We  have 
the  right  to  make  and  amend  our  city  charter,  and  to  say  what  offi¬ 
cers  shall  be  elected  and  what  appointed, — except  that  the  constitu^ 
tion,  of  course,  requires  us  to  elect  the  members  of  our  legislative  body. 

A  Board  of  Freeholders  is  now  engaged  in  drafting  a  new  charter 
for  St.  Louis.  The  Short  Ballot  is  one  of  the  leading  features  in  any 
modern  form  of  progressive  city  government.  It  is  one  means  of  secur¬ 
ing  the  power  of  the  people  to  rule.  It  is  a  big  weapon  in  the  fight 
against  the  rule  of  politicians  and  special  interests. 


The  St.  Louis  Voter  and  the  Long  Ballot. 

He  votes  for  11  officers  at  the  Biennial  Municipal  Election  tinner  half  circle  above), 
and  doubles  the  number  at  the  Regular  Municipal  Election  (outer  half  circle  above) — a  total 
of  33  municipal  officers  for  every  voter  to  pac  s  upon.  At  the  Biennial  State  Election  he  votes 
for  22  federal,  state  and  local  officials,  and  at  the  “Presidential”  election  for  25  (including  the 
Vice-President  and  counting  presidential  electors  as  one.)  His  grand  total  in  all  elections  is  80. 


BIENNIAL  MUNICIPAL  ELEC- 
TION. 

(Inner  Circle  Above.) 

,  2,  3.  4 — Members  of  the  Board  of 
Education. 

,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10 — Members  of  the  City- 
Council. 

1 — Member,  House  of  Delegates, 

REGULAR  MUNICIPAL  ELEC¬ 
TION. 

(Outer  Circle  Above.) 

1—  Mayor. 

2 —  President,  City  Council. 

3,  4.  5,  6,  7,  8 — Members  of  the  City 
Council; 

9 — Member,  House  of  Delegates. 

0 — Comptroller. 

1 —  Treasurer. 

2—  Auditor. 

3 —  l^gister. 

4^ — ^vlarshal. 

ii— Inspector  of  Weights  and  Meas- 

jiji^jres. 

■jjWij  esident.  Board  of  Public  Im- 
vements. 


17 —  President,  Board  of  Assessors. 

18 —  Collector  of  the  Revenue. 

19,  20,  21,  22 — Members  of  the  Board 
of  Education, 

BIENNIAL  STATE  ELECTION. 
(Inner  Circle  Below.) 

1 —  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court, 

2 —  State  Senator. 

3,  4,  5 — State  Representatives, 

6 — State  Superintendent  of  Schools. 
7,  8,  9,  10 — Judges  of  the  Circuit 
Court. 

11 —  Probate  Judge. 

12 —  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Criminal 
Correction. 

13 —  Prosecuting  Attorney 

14 —  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

15 —  Clerk,  Circuit  Court. 

16 —  Clerk,  Probate  Court. 

17 —  Clerk,  Court  for  Criminal 
Causes. 

18 —  Clerk,  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection. 

19 —  Constable. 

20 —  Recorder  or  Deeds. 


21 —  License  Collector. 

22 —  Congressman  (not  sho-wn  in  cir¬ 
cle  above). 

PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTION. 
(Outer  Circle  Below.) 

1 —  President  (and  Vice-President). 

2 —  Senator. 

3—  Congressman. 

4 —  Governor. 

5 —  Lieutenant-Governor. 

6 —  Secretary  of  State. 

7 —  State  Auditor. 

8 —  Treasurer. 

9 —  Attorney  General. 

10 —  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

11 —  State  Senator. 

12,  13,  14 — State  Representatives. 

15 —  Coroner. 

16 —  Public  Administrator. 

17—  Sheriff. 

18 —  Circuit  Attorney. 

19,  20,  21,  22 — Judges  of  the  Circuit 
Court. 

23 —  Judge,  Court  of  Appeals, 

24 —  Judge,  Court  of  Criminal  Cor¬ 
rection, 


7 


A  ffcw  of  many  notable  endorsements: 

“I  believe  the  short  ballot  is  the  key  to  the  whole  j)roblem  of  the 
restoration  of  pojjular  government  in  this  country.’’ 

— Woodrow  Wilson. 

^‘In  the  first  place,  I  believe  in  the  short  ballot.  You  cannot  get 
good  service  from  the  public  servant  if. you  cannot  see  him,  and  there 
is  no  more  effective  way  of  hiding  him  than  by  mixing  him  up  with  a 
multitude  of  others  so  that  they  are  none  of  them  important  enough 
to  catch  the  eye  of  the  average  workaday  citizen.” 

— Theodore  Roosevelt. 

have  the  fullest  sympathy  with  every  reform  in  governmental 
and  election  machinery  which  shall  facilitate  the  expression  of  the 
popular  will,  such  as  the  Short  Ballot  and  the  reduction  of  elective 
offices.”  —William  H.  Taft. 

stood  flat-footed  on  a  platform  of  constructive  municipal  so¬ 
cialism,  which  no  one  misapprehended  and  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
short  ballot  did  eliminate  the  confusing  elements  of  the  long  ballot 
and  precipitate  a  straight  fight.”  f^titt  Wilson, 

(Member  of  the  National  Executive  Committee  of  the  Socialist 
Party  and  former  Socialist  Mayor  of  Berkeley,  Calif.) 

am  in  favor  of  as  few  elective  offices  as  may  be  consistent  with 
proper  accountability  to  the  people,  and  a  Short  Ballot.” 

— Chas.  E.  Hughes, 

(Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.) 

am  heartily  in  favor  of  the  Short  Ballot  principle  and  look 
for  its  early  and  general  adoption.” 

— J ohn  Mitchell, 

(Former  Vice-President  American  Federation  of  Labor.) 


The  National  Short  Ballot  organization  has  its  head(]uarters  at 
383  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York.  Any  citizen  will  be  put  on  its  mailing 
list  for  Short  Ballot  literature  free  by  making  application  to  H.  S. 
Gilbertson,  Executive  Secretary. 


Short  Ballot  Committee  of  the  Civic  League. 


Pei  ’ey  Werner,  Chairman, 

Roland  G.  Usher,  Vice-Chairman, 
Paul  Bakewell,  Jr., 

Roy  F.  Britton, 

E.  M.  Grossman, 

F.  P.  O’Hare, 

Breckenridge  Long, 

Stratford  L.  Morton, 

Harry  L.  Wells, 


Rialto  Building. 

Washington  University. 
Fullerton  Building. 

Third  National  Bank  Building. 
Rialto  Building. 

411  Olive  Street. 

220  North  Fourth  Street. 

30()  Chemical  Building. 

71  (>  Lucas  Avenue. 


All  communications  in  regard  to  the  St.  Louis  movement  should 
be  addressed  to  Roger  N.  Baldwin,  Secretary,  1)11  Locust  street,  St. 
I^uis,  Mo. 


The  Civic  League  is  a  citizens’  organization  for  the  purpose  of 
improving  living  conditions  through  better  government.  The  Ivcague 
depends  entirely  for  its  suj)port  upon  the  membershij)  of  interested 
citizens,  and  welcomes  any  man  or  woman  to  membership. 


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